The “appalling” attacks on 17 police officers in various incidents across Northern Ireland over a 24-hour period have been condemned.
The officers were carrying out duties such as responding to reports of assaults and taking a man to hospital when the attacks took place.
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said it was “appalling that any police officer should be subjected to violence whilst simply doing their job”.
Four police officers were assaulted in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, on Saturday afternoon while dealing with a man who had apparently collapsed on the street.
The man headbutted one officer and punched, kicked and spat at others, police said.
After being arrested, he was placed in a police vehicle where he “lashed out”, police said.
The 38-year-old man was subsequently charged with a number of offences including assault on police, grievous bodily harm, criminal damage and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and is due to appear in court.
Two of the injured officers required hospital treatment but returned to duty, the PSNI said.
Five officers responding to a report of domestic assault in Co Antrim shortly after midnight were injured when a man attacked them with a large piece of broken glass.
Three of the officers sustained cuts and lacerations that required medical treatment.
A man also caused damage to a police vehicle which had to be removed from service for the remainder of the night.
The 32-year-old was arrested and remains in police custody.
Three officers attending a reported assault on a man in the Linenhall Street area in Ballymena, Co Antrim, were punched in the face and head, and had their uniform and equipment damaged.
A 28-year-old man was arrested and is currently in police custody.
Three officers were also struck in the face and spat on by a man they were conveying to hospital in Belfast.
It is understood the man had sustained injuries in an earlier altercation and was being taken for treatment by police when he attacked them.
The man was arrested and remains in custody.
In a separate incident in Belfast, a 34-year-old man was charged with assaulting a police officer, criminal damage and disorderly behaviour after being arrested following a disturbance in Union Street during the early hours of Sunday.
In another separate incident in Belfast, a 30-year-old woman was charged to court after assaulting an officer outside a hospital and causing criminal damage to a police car.
A 29-year-old man also arrested at the same incident on suspicion of assaulting police was released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.
“For 17 individual officers to be subjected to violence, spat on, kicked and slashed in a single day beggars belief,” Mr Todd said.
“Whilst we come to work knowing we could be faced with difficult and dangerous situations, it is completely unacceptable that officers should be physically attacked.
“These horrible incidents just show the often grim reality of what officers on the ground are facing each and every day as they work to help people and keep our communities safe.”
